In remote parts of my State, Goa(India) thousands of natural springs can be found at foot of plateaus and hills. While most people come to Goa for its beautiful beaches, these springs are tiny paradises where one can sit, bathe and enjoy a hot summer afternoon.

I visited some of these springs today, few kilometres away from the famous Cabo de Rama fort. A dilapidated wall surrounds the spring, meant to hold and store water, which was constructed probably by a perfunctory contractor with no knowledge of hydrology. The depth of the tank is almost that of the spring and thus the water seeps around the tank and into the adjoining stream. The tank is barely able to hold water a foot high. But the four houses nearby who have no other source of water somehow manage to pump this water for their daily needs.

While their plight is sad, the greater tragedy is the loss of these natural springs themselves. Costly dams provide piped water to many parts of the State. Areas such as the tops of hills and plateaus, where no one wanted to live due to lack of water source, have become sought after properties for the rich and mighty because of piped water. These constructions seal off the aquifers inside these plateaus and hills, increasing runoff. The famous Kesarval spring in Goa used to be perennial but now dries up just a couple of months after monsoon. Another spring, located in Aquem Margao, is contaminated with sewage from the soakpits of residential complexes on the hill. This spring used to be a source of drinking water but why should anyone bother when people have piped water in their flats and villas?

The answer is climate change. Rainfall patterns in Goa have changed. We get twice the amount of rain in half the number of days as compared to 30 years ago. Dams dry up sooner than usual causing water shortages during summer. The centralised model of water supply is failing. The only solution is to decentralise the system by protecting the springs and the aquifers that feed these springs from all construction activities.